Ornamental heel beinforcement for



May 30, 1939. F. E. STRUVE HEEL REINFORCEMENT FOR Filed March 26, 1938 VENTOR. u FEEDfEK/FLZ W000 STAWf ATTORNEY.

Patented May 30, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ORNAMENTAL HEEL IHEINFORCEMENT FOR HOSIERY 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to hosiery, more particularly to full-fashioned knitted stockings, and has for one of its main objects the provision of a stocking of the character described having a reinforced high-splice heel section constructed to produce a distinctive ornamental appearance adapted to impart a slenderizing effect to said high-splice heel section.

Another important object of the invention resides in the provision of a full-fashioned stocking having a high-splice heel fabric portion knitted from two yarns of different colors relatively disposed to appear alternatively on the surface of said fabric portion to produce alternating longitudinal lines of contrasting colors.

The formation of high-splice heels in color contrasting with that of the remaining portion of a stocking has heretofore been known. However, according to such known constructions, the entire high-splice heels are generally of uniform solid color, producing, because of the abrupt contrast in color, an unsightly appearance, causing the heel to appear broad and thick, which has a detrimental effect on the purchasing public.

The present invention, therefore, aims to overcome the detrimental appearance above referred to by breaking up the solid contrasting color of the high-heel portion walewise of the same so that wale lines of different color appear throughout the length of said portion, thereby blending the latter with the remaining adjacent parts of the stocking.

The invention is moreover characterized by the provision of a stocking having a high-heel fabric portion consisting of alternatively spaced longitudinal parallel wale lines of contrasting color, said wale lines gradually increasing in length so that the area of said portion gradually tapers towards its normal top and rear.

It is also a characteristic feature of the invention to provide a stocking of the type mentioned wherein is formed a knitted high-splice heel fabric portion consisting of alternate wales of a different and contrasting color, preferably black and a light shade, such as beige, whereby pronounced'alternating wale lines symmetrically appear upon the surface of said fabric portion.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have, in the accompanying drawing and in the detailed description based thereupon,- set out a possible embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a full-fashioned stocking constructed in accordance with the in- 5 vention.

Figure 2 is a face elevation of a full-fashioned leg blank from which the stocking shown in Figure 1 is made.

Figure 3 is a detail on a greatly enlarged scale diagrammatically illustrating the relative positions of the body yarn and the plating yarn in a series of adjacent wales.

Having more particular reference to the drawing, wherein like characters of reference will designate corresponding parts throughout, I have shown in Figure 1 a full-fashioned stocking 5, having a welt 6, a leg fabric portion 1, an instep fabric portion 8, a high-splice heel fabric portion 9, a sole fabric portion l0, and a toe fabric portion H. The welt, leg, and instep fabric portions are knitted as usual from a body yarn of a predetermined weight and denier, to impart the desired sheerness thereto.

The sole and toe fabric portions l0 and II respectively are preferably reinforced in the customary manner by introducing a plating yarn during the knitting of said sole and toe fabric portions which, therefore, comprise two yarns, that is, the body yarn and the plating yarn. The plating yarn introduced in the sole and toe fabric portions is substantially of the same color as the body yarn so that said sole and toe fabric portions harmonize with the leg and instep fabric portions.

The high-splice heel-fabric portion 9 is likewise reinforced by introducing plating yarns but, in accordance with the present invention, the plating yarns are of a color different from that of the .body yarn so that the body of the heel fabric portion assumes a contrasting appearance with respect to the body of the remaining portions of the stocking; also, in accordance with the invention, the body yarn and plating yarn constituting the high-splice heel fabric portion are respectively disposed to appear in predetermined relationship upon the surface'to form relatively spaced paralleling wale lines l2 and I3 of contrasting color, thereby producing a high-splice heel portion of distinctive ornamental appearance adapted to impart a slenderizing effect.

As represented in the drawing, the length of the wale lines gradually increases, whereby the high-splice heel portion gradually tapers as shown at 9' as it extends in the leg fabric portion, with the result that the ornamental slenderizing effect of said heel portion is enhanced.

In making a stocking of the construction hereinbefore described, a leg blank, such as shown in Figure 2, is first knitted on an ordinary fullfashioned legger machine by feeding in the customary way the body yarn H to the needles in order to form the welt and leg fabric portions 6 and 1 respectively.

The leg fabric portion I is knitted from the body yarn l4 down to the point indicated in Figure 2 by the line a-a where the high-splice heel portion is to begin. At that point, the necessary plating carriers which, in accordance with this invention, are each threaded with a plating yarn ll of a color contrasting with that of the body yarn H, are disposed to operate with the main carrier or carriers through the well-known plating mechanism of the knitting machine in order to form the left and right high-splice heel sections l5 and I6. During the knitting of the high-splice heel sections, the main carrier or carriers travel to lay its or their body yarns l4 over the entire width of the stocking fabric, whereas the plating carriers are governed in their yarn laying movement by means of the carrier stop control attachment generally provided on ordinary full-fashioned knitting machines for the purpose of varying the travel of the plating carrier bars, whereby the width of the plated areas may gradually increase as the knitting thereof progresses.

This mode of yarn laying continues to the end of the leg blank, that is, to the point indicated by line 21-17 in Figure 2. At that point, two yarn carriers, each threaded with body yarns, are arranged to operate with the plating carriers so as to lay their respective yarns l4 and I4 (Figure 3) for the knitting of the depending heel tabs l1 and I8 respectively (Figure 2). The laying of the body yarns l4 and plating yarns H for the knitting of the high heel sections l5 and I6 and heel tabs l1 and I8 is done in such a manner that said yarns alternatively appear on the surface of the fabric, as is diagrammatically shown in Figure 3, to form, as hereinbefore stated, the alternatively spaced longitudinally parallel wale lines I! and I3 of contrasting color extending throughout the combined length of said high-heel sections and heel tabs. This may be done by means of ordinary reversely plating attachments, the construction and operation of which is well known by those skilled in the art.

Upon completing the leg fabric in the manner stated, the same is transferred onto the needles of an ordinary footer for the purpose of knitting the foot fabric thereonto.

The foot fabric is constructed in the customary manner from the body yarn, a reinforced yarn of the same color as the body yarn being added to the latter to form the sole and toe sections. The completed stocking blank may be looped, seamed, and finished according to the practice common in the art.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a stocking which, because of its particular construction, possesses a characterlstic and distinctive appearance, particularly in imparting to the high-splice heel fabric portion a pleasant, slenderizing effect.

In practice, dark colored yarn, preferably black, is utilized as the plating yarn, whereas yarn of natural tint is used as the body yarn, so that when dip-dyeing the stocking, in the usual procedure, the body yarn alone will take the color of the dye bath which, in accordance with this invention, is preferably of a light shade, such as beige. Of course, it will be understood that if the stocking is to be of the so-called ingrain type, that is, knitted from skein dyed yarns,

then a body yarn of appropriate color, again preferably beige, may be used.

Whereas I am aware that the plating of a stocking with plating yarn or yarns of a color different from, and contrasting with, the main body yarn has been done heretofore, I believe, however, that I am the first to have associated two such yarns in the manner herein described to produce results and attain the purposes specified, that is, a full-fashioned stocking having a leg and foot of solid uniform light color and a highsplice heel consisting of series of wales, every other wale being of a color harmonizing with that of the stocking leg and foot, and every intermediate wale being of a dark color. Accordingly, what I claim is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a full-fashioned stocking composed of a leg portion, an instep portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a high heel portion, and a heel portion: said leg and instep portions entirely consisting of plain knitted fabrics formed from a body yarn of uniform color; said sole and toe portions entirely consisting of spliced knitted fabrics formed from the body yarn and a reinforcing yarn of the same color as that of the body yarn; and said high heel and heel portions entirely consisting of plated fabrics formed from the body yarn and a reinforcing yarn of a color in contrast with that of the body yarn, the fabrics being plated so that the body yarn appears on the outer surface of every other wale and the reinforcing yarn appears on the outer surface of every intermediate wale to form alternating paralleling wale lines of contrasting color extending continuously throughout said high heel and heel portions.

2. As an article of manufacture, a full-fashioned stocking composed of a leg portion, an instep portion, a sole portion, a toe portion, a high heel portion, and a heel portion: said leg and instep portions entirely consisting of plain knitted fabrics formed from a body yarn of uniform color; said sole and toe portions entirely consisting of spliced knitted fabrics'formed from the body yarn and a reinforcing yarn of the same color as that of the body yarn; and said high heel and' heel portions entirely consisting of plated fabrics formed from the body yarn and a reinforcing yarn of a color in contrast with that of the body yarn, the fabrics being plated so that that the body yarn appears on the outer surface of a predetermined number of successively interknitted loops in a predetermined length of every other wale and the reinforcing yarn appears on the outer surface of a predetermined number of successively interknitted loops in a predetermined length of every intermediate wale to form alternating paralleling wale lines of contrasting color extending continuously in varied lengths throughout said high heel and heel portions.

F. ELWOOD STRUVE. 

